Here’s what we brought back from the Buenos Aires Book Fair, as well as books recommended to us from our new Argentinian authors, or booksellers that we met. Be sure to check our social media to see our recommendations for book stores and other Buenos Aires delight.

Again, Northwest poets, we share these with you and are happy to lend these difficult to get locally books with you if your interest include contemporary Spanish-language poetry. Just drop us an email. Obviously, we are very interested in doing what we can to promote any of this work being translated.

Finally, a note on our selections, and particularly coming from me— a person who is not fluent in Spanish and is new to the literature of Argentina. First, let it be known that we asked our awesome editor, Erin L. McCoy, to select whatever books she found engaging. Second, as per our press, we are definitely interested in women writers and queer writers as a default state of being. We were interested in learning more writers outside of Buenos Aires. Per my current interests with the press, I was looking for interesting looking hybrid texts (much rarer to see than in the US Market) and prose poetry. And I was not interested in poetry that was extremely first person or “flat” which seems to be a trend and one that drives me a bit crazy. Sometimes I would pick up a book and Erin would say, “Oh, that would actually drive you crazy…” and sometimes I would pick up a book and she would say, “Oh, that is an interesting find!” Finally, I might have bought a few of these books just based on something to do with the production and for that, I did not ask Erin. I know what I like on production.

It was incredible to have our book, Mary’s Dust by Melinda Mueller with music by Lori Goldston selected as one of this year’s Poetry finalists.

There is no doubt I am competitive and it is true I want all of our books to win all the awards. But working with so many generous and kind authors and artists has mellowed my grim dark heart— as well as understanding how difficult of every step of book publishing and getting books noticed and read is. So only three years into this, I would like to say, “WOO! WOO!”

Now, we did not win. A heartfelt congratulations to Lena Khalaf Tuffaha and the awards did what it should do which is highlight a Washington State poet get you to add their book to your reading list. I am certainly adding, “Water & Salt” to mine!

I knew that we’d likely be able to bring back from the Midwest industrial printers this book for local printing. It’s a simple “saddle stich”, that is stapled booklet, meant to reference (and celebrate) the Dramatist Guild playbooks. I’ve got great memories of these functional playbooks from drama club in high school and so it was with great happiness that the writers, Christine Deavel and J.W. Marshall, also were intrigued to put the play in this format.
It’s the same size, the same tight gutters, and really designed to be used by actors, with page breaks made thinking through how actors might memorize their lines. I’ll be curious to chat with them on it as this play moves into production. Printing in this format also helps keep our cost down so I am hopeful we can print another play soon by Northwest playwrights or poets turning toward play writing.
I am very happy to be printing with Girlie Press, a woman-owned small business that I can walk to. How wonderful to not have to pay shipping as well as reducing the carbon from that. I’ve only done a few press checks and feel quite silly at them, though it’s exciting to see if how you imagine it printing is going to be the way it actually works in the real world.
I’ll be mostly curious to put this book next to the Dramatist Guild books and see how it feels. Will it feel ready to use for work?

After having rough start to the year with some health problems and learning how to manage new books while working on marketing the previous books, we’re getting very much back on track and proofs are starting to head out the door for our next round of books.
The pre-order pages up in a month or so and our official publication date is still October 5th!

It is with great pleasure and excitement, that Victor and I are announcing bringing on our first editor to assist me with the press! Please welcome Erin L. McCoy!
One of our press goals is to have one book a year in translation that helps broaden our understanding and connections with Argentinian literature, history and culture. Erin is joining Entre Ríos as an acquisitions editor and will be looking for the right mix of Argentinian poetry in translation for our press.
Erin is a Seattle-based poet, scholar, book editor, and educator in Spanish and Latin American literature and creative writing. She is also an award-winning photojournalist. Her poem, “Futures,” was selected by Natalie Diaz to be published in Best New Poets 2017. Her work has also appeared in Bennington Review, Pleiades, DIAGRAM, Cimarron Review, CURA, and other publications.
Erin holds an MFA in Poetry and an MA in Hispanic Studies from the University of Washington. She has been the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship, a Critical Languages Scholarship, the University of Washington’s Grace Milliman Pollock Scholarship, and the Oakley Hall III Memorial Scholarship to attend the Community of Writers in Squaw Valley, California, among other awards. She is from Louisville, Kentucky.
While the majority of our projects get started through other means than submissions and queries, do know we are always interested in hearing from translators working with modern or contemporary Argentinian poetry or hybrid models, so do drop us line if that’s a focus of your poetic work.

I’ve heard stories of the “platform”, seen some marketing questionnaires that might be included with a book contract (or even before a contract is given). Truth is, I can see why publishers are doing these things now: there’s almost no budget for marketing and for poetry, a lot of books get sold through connections…aka, friends!
So it is with special relish (and a bit of joking), that we are pleased to share that one of our authors now has an author website and twitter handle (though I promised she did not have to actually tweet!).
Check out Melinda Mueller’s new site to learn about all of her books and if you feel like tweeting her, find her at @melinda_mueller.
And yes, on my list for winter project is designing an “Author Intake” form. Really.

Between Rivers

We are an independent press in Seattle, Washington. We publish collaborations between poets and artists of all types. We also have an interest in publishing contemporary Argentinian poetry in translation and supporting writers with an interest in Argentinian culture and Jewish history in Latin America. Gay-owned and queerly run.

With cleaning up from our house fire, I am too tired to post more, but, HELLO it is our new office @jackstrawarts! The timing could not be better to move into an actual office. pic.twitter.com/UBopb5Ts4N

@spdbooks Awww thanks! We could not be more honored to have our books distributed by you lovers of great literature! It's chaotic— but back with a vengeance and new office soon enough! Our spring books are A+++ with @shinyupai, @VisaVisSociety and E. Briskin.